[Math] Finding the shortest distance from a graph to a point

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will post the answer instead

 

Ruining it for everybody :'(

haha, but yeah, that's how you do it. I need to come up with harder problems concept-wise. :/

 

Saves me working it out Can someone explain to me what the ^ does? I've seen them before.

 

It's an exponent, 2^2 is 2 to the second (four). Since you can't really make exponents on some websites and such.

 

uhhh you find the tangent line? Why can't you take your homework questions somewhere else

 

Its not a homework question... He always comes up with math problems just for the fun of it... Why cant you take your hate somewhere else..

 

It's not my homework question, I know perfectly well how to solve it. And no, it's not done using the tangent line. (It probably could be done, but it wouldn't be nearly the most efficient way).

Thanks <3

 

hahaha it's not hate, I'm just wondering why he feels the need to bring his Calc 1 homework here

 

not calc 1. your tangent method doesn't get the answer as the only line tangent that could accept the value of (5,2) is a function with the slope f'(x)=2/5 and that value wouldn't be the least number.

 

Being that you are new I will cut you a break here but he has been posting math problems for a while now.

The shortest distance from a point to a curve is always along the line perpendicular to the curve, or perpendicular to the tangent line of the curve..distance formula..Unless this is a trick. Or I am over thinking it. If so GG to my physics degree.

 

Actually calc 1 concepts are perfectly doable in solving this problem.

Just involves substitution, derivatives, and x-intercepts.

You really don't need any calc at all; it's just another way to solve it.

 

It's definitely Calc 1, nice try being a smartass though. I don't know what you're smoking but your "solution" is not at all what I was talking about.

 

To be honest, if you know how to take a simple derivative then you can do this problem. Many people learn it in late Precalc.

 

funny thing is i didn't propose a solution. just refuting your claim by representing what the function would be if you were to take a derivative. Hence f ' (x)..